It wasn’t the best weekend for Brazilian football.
You might remember hearing about the mass brawl that took place during a fiery clash on Sunday night, when Vitoria hosted rivals Bahia at the Estádio Manoel Barradas.
A total of nine red cards were doled out, forcing the referee to bring a premature end to the derby game but, remarkably, it wasn’t the only case of fists flying on a Brazilian pitch that day.
Distressing footage has emerged of Operaio star Jefferson Reis repeatedly punching a ball boy for celebrating a goal from opponents Comercial.
The ball boy, who is said to be a Comercial youth player, was left nursing a bloody nose following the vicious attack which prompted several more clashes between players.
At least the young ball boy was treated to a victory for his side as Comercial claimed a 1-0 win once the referee was finally able to calm matters down.
Heavy fines can be expected when the incident is heard by Brazil’s sporting court, who will also be tasked with deciding on the outcome of the Vitoria vs. Bahia game.
And with Sergio Aguero’s altercation with a Wigan fan after the Latics’ shock FA Cup victory over Manchester City on Monday night, it proved to be a violent 24 hours on the football pitch.
